GECs
Star India debuts ‘mobisodes’ with Star One show
MUMBAI: Star India is introducing the concept of mobile-enabled episode (mobisode) to Indian television. The company has associated with Hutch to create ‘mobisodes’ of the successful Star One comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (TGILC).
A ‘mobisode’ is a brief episode of a video programme designed to be viewed on a mobile phone. Starting 10 October, Hutch subscribers across the country will be able to download video clips of the most intriguing moments of the programme through HutchWorld on their GPRS enabled Hutch phones.
Hutch’s GPRS customers will be able to download the ‘mobisodes’ of 20 seconds duration while Edge customers can have the luxury of watching 40-seconds ‘mobisodes’, according to Star India senior vice president Interactive Services Viren Popli. Hutch will be charging Rs. 10 per download. Subscribers can also call 7827 to listen to the TGILC jokes at a cost of Rs. 6.
Apart from ‘mobisodes’ and jokes, Star will also launch caller tunes on TGILC. Jokes figured in the show will be available to Hutch customers as caller tunes.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com about the new initiative, Star One programming head Ravi Menon stated the success of TGILC as ‘mobisodes’ would decide the company’s future strategies on mobisodes. “Presently, we are testing the waters with TGILC. We have plans to launch ‘mobisodes’ of some of our successful shows and the TGILC experiment will decide our future plans,” Menon said.
In a June 2005 interview with indiantelevision.com, Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea had spelt out ‘mobisodes’ as one key area Star India was looking to tap for growth. “At Star, we’ll have to explore how this ‘mobisode’ theme could be exploited for revenue. Probably, we’ll make one-minute mobisodes of the most popular serial of Star Plus. Definitely there is an opportunity,” he had said.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
